The present invention is directed to the use of a centrifugal parts separator or wringer for transporting wet chips or materials to the wringer for separation into dry solids and fluids as well as delivering the dried solids to one or more recovery sites. More particularly, the invention is directed to the pneumatic delivery of wet materials to a centrifugal separator where they are separated in addition to pneumatically delivering the dried solids to a recovery site.
In machining operations involving machines such as a lathe, milling machine, or router, a piece of metal or plastic stock is worked and a substantial scrap byproduct is generated. The scrap material generally comprises elongated helical or other shaped pieces saturated with lubricant or coolant fluid. Often, the scrap material constitutes cast iron, aluminum, steel, or brass chips with lubricating or coolant fluid adhering to the chips.
In conventional chip processing systems, the scrap material generally is mechanically conveyed or otherwise transported to a centrifugal separator where the wet chips are centrifuged whereby fluid is substantially separated from the chips. Recovered fluid often is recirculated in the system while the dried chips are collected at a recovery site for further disposition. An example of a centrifugal separator or wringer presently employed is exemplified and illustrated in Nemedi U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,124, the entire disclosure and drawings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In many chip separation systems, the tooling machine or station where wet chips are generated is located a substantial distance from the centrifugal separator. Following one or more machining operations, the scrap material, e.g., wet metal chips, is delivered to one or more centrifugal separators by means of mechanical or auger type conveyors which are positioned between the source of origin of the wet chips, i.e., tooling machine, wet chip storage bin, or jitney delivering wet chips, and a centrifugal separator. It can be appreciated that such mechanical conveyors are relatively costly items often requiring a substantial amount of space. Moreover, mechanical conveyors presently utilized have to be repaired or otherwise maintained on a regular basis which can be time consuming and relatively costly. Further, a separate source of energy, e.g., motor is required to actuate one or more mechanical conveyors. It is desired to reduce the need for extended maintenance and the separate energy requirements presently associated with wet chip delivery systems.
Moreover, with some conventional chip processing systems, the wet materials are fed directly to a mechanical conveyor system. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to have wet chips to be separated inadvertently fail to fall onto a particular mechanical conveyor in the delivery process. Rather, the wet chips fall onto and accumulate on the floor in the area contiguous to a tooling machine often requiring an individual to sweep up the wet chips and manually place them onto a mechanical conveyor. It is desired to have a delivery system that would obviate the need for this supplemental manual delivery of wet chips.
Additionally, a parts separator device often is utilized with centrifugal separators. The parts separator serves to separate out heavy, undesired materials such as nuts, bolts, tools, or the like which are mixed with the wet chip materials prior to the wet chips entering the centrifugal separator. Should these heavy items enter the centrifugal separator, they sometimes can damage the centrifuge. Examples of parts separators are illustrated in Nemedi U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,487, the entire disclosure and drawings of which are incorporated herein by reference. Parts separators often, but not always, are connected directly to the centrifugal separator. Wet chips to be dried pass through a parts separator conduit having one of two ends attached to the centrifuge. Wet chips pass through the opposite conduit end and heavy, unwanted parts drop by gravity through a conduit opening prior to the wet chips entering the centrifuge. What is desired is to have the ability to locate a parts separator contiguous to a machine station whereby heavy objects can be removed from a wet chip transport conveyor system prior to being placed on the mechanical conveyor.
What also is desired is to minimize space presently required for transporting wet chip materials to one or more centrifugal separators. Specifically, it is desired to eliminate the need for mechanical conveyor(s) including the source of energy (e.g., separate motor(s) required to actuate such conveyor(s). Moreover, it is desired to have a wet chip delivery system which can be utilized in those instances where space is at a premium and a substantial distance exists between the location of the centrifugal separator(s) and the source of origin of the wet chips, e.g., tooling machine, scrap bin, etc. It also is desired to have a wet chip delivery system where wet chips which, for whatever reason, fall to the floor at a machine site, can be collected without requiring a maintenance worker or operator to manually sweep up the scrap material and place it on a mechanical conveyor.
Further, it is desired to utilize a wet chip delivery system which will permit a parts separator to be located proximate to the source of wet chip origin. Having a parts separator located at this location whereby heavy, unwanted objects can be removed early on in the wet chip delivery system is desirable as it serves to obviate having heavy objects remain in the delivery system for an extended period as presently occurs whereby such objects can, on occasion, cause damage before they reach the parts separator.
The invention disclosed and claimed herein serves to obviate the above-referenced problems associated with various conventional wet chip processing systems and achieve the sought after desires for a wet chip centrifugal separator processing system. xe2x80x9cChipsxe2x80x9d as used herein refers to metal, plastic, or other scrap materials generated in a machining or other operation. During the course of the machining operation, the scrap material becomes covered with a lubricating and/or cooling fluid thereby forming what is referred to in the art as xe2x80x9cwet chips.xe2x80x9d When the wet chips are centrifuged, the fluid substantially separates from the scrap material forming what is referred to in the art as xe2x80x9cdry chips.xe2x80x9d
With the present invention, wet chips are pneumatically transported to the centrifugal separator with the wet chips entrained in the air or fluid traveling at entrainment velocity in the wet chip conduit. Accordingly, the need for auger and other type of mechanical conveyors is dispelled, including separate conveyor energy source(s), presently used. In the preferred embodiment, the centrifugal separator serves to generate the requisite energy for both the fluid flow, e.g., air or fluid, required to (i) pneumatically transport wet chips to the centrifugal separator, and (ii) pneumatically expel dry chips from the separator to a recovery site with (iii) the intermediate process of drying wet chips in the centrifugal separator. A separate source of energy heretofore previously used to deliver wet chips generally will not be required.
Briefly, the present invention utilizes a centrifugal separator which preferably has a conduit attached to the inlet manifold of the separator. The conduit, which can be flexible or stationary, as the term is used herein, is an open member which will allow the passage of wet chips. Preferably, it has two ends with an opening at each end. The conduit is positioned adjacent or contiguous to the source of origin of wet chips to be separated.
With the present invention, wet chips are pneumatically transported through the conduit to one or more centrifugal separator(s) where they are centrifuged. The resulting dry chips are pneumatically blown to one or more collection sites while the recovered fluid generally either is recirculated into the system or conveyed to a fluid collection site. The wet chip transport conduit preferably is relatively small in size, illustratively, 4-12 inch tube, compared to the size of conventional mechanical conveyor systems presently employed. Moreover, it is expected that the pneumatic tube or conduit can be relatively easily located in a facility whereby it takes up less space than conventional chip processing systems employing mechanical conveyors.
Further, in the preferred embodiment, actuation of the centrifugal separator serves to generate the pneumatic fluid flow necessary both for pneumatically delivering wet chips to the separator and pneumatically transporting dried chips from the centrifuge following a fluid separation from the wet chips in a centrifuge operation.
If desired, a parts separator can be located at the outboard end of the pneumatic conduit away from the centrifugal separator such that unwanted heavy parts can be removed from the wet chips early on in the wet chip delivery system as opposed to what normally occurs where unwanted, heavy objects are interspersed and travel with the wet chips along the mechanical conveyor system until their removal immediately prior to wet chip entry into the centrifugal separator.
Finally, the pneumatic wet chip conduit can utilize small, hand-held, flexible pneumatic conduits which can be held relatively easily by an operator or maintenance person whereby wet chips, which might fall on the floor at the machine site, can be relatively easily vacuumed into the main pneumatic wet chip conduit.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, drawings, and claims.